Lewis aims for gold

By
Matt Jones

HE MAY be entering his first Commonwealth Games, but boxer Daniel Lewis says he isn’t going to Glasgow to make up the numbers.

HE MAY be entering his first Commonwealth Games, but boxer Daniel Lewis says he isn’t going to Glasgow to make up the numbers.

The Londonderry fighter was selected in the Australian squad after winning his three fights on the way to the national title in Perth earlier this year.

The results meant not only would he make his Commonwealth Games debut but he’d head to Scotland as Australia’s highest internationally ranked Elite male boxer following a year where he won 21 of his 23 fights.

‘‘I’m hoping to get any medal but gold is the one I want,’’ Lewis said.

‘‘In the world championships I was just hoping to get into the final and a lot of Australians have won medals at the Commonwealth Games so I’ll be hoping to win a medal too.’’

Lewis has been in red-hot form leading into the Commonwealth Games, being undefeated in Australia since September 2011, and will finish his preparations at home at a training camp at the AIS before heading to Belfast to prepare ahead of the Games which start on July 23.

But the Games will present him with the toughest test of his career to date. Barely out of his teens, Lewis will have to take on experienced fighters, some who have been to multiple Commonwealth Games to go with a tough division.

“I’m 20 now, but a lot of the guys overseas don’t turn pro for a while so most of them will be older than me and we only have a young team here,” Lewis said. “It’s probably one of the strongest divisions there. The 69kg to 75kg are the most popular divisions full of tough fighters so it will be very strong.

“The age difference doesn’t really bother me at all because once you’re in the elite division you’re a man and it’s the skill that matters. I’ve fought older guys before.”